Five Indian workers were injured in an explosion at an iron plant of Jagdamba Steels at Simara Sub-Metropolitan City-2, Bara district, on Wednesday. Four of them are said to be in a critical condition.

The injured have been identified as Kamalesh Raya, 22, NareshSahani, 23, Sandeep Kumar, 23, Pankaj Kumar, 20, and Binayak Singh, 35, of the Indian state of Bihar. They were daily wage labourers at the plant.

Following the explosion, a police team reached the site and rescued the injured. The workers were melting iron in the run-down furnace when the incident took place, police said.

The four critically injured are receiving treatment at the Birgunj-based Health Care Hospital, while Binayak Singh, who sustained minor injuries, is receiving treatment at a local health facility in Simara.

It is suspected that the explosion might have occurred due to excessive heat. Most of the equipments used at the plant were old and dilapidated, said police.

“Factories do not regularly maintain and repair the equipments,” a worker said, adding, “They only show regular maintenance on paper.”